Pest Control Services in Princeton, NJ

As this customer in Princeton, NJ, was starting to tend to his landscape for the spring season, he noticed several holes throughout his mulch bed. Since his neighbor had used Cowleys before, he asked them for our contact information, gave our office a call, and we were sent out to inspect and treat. When we arrived, we took a close look at these burrows and were able to identify them as rat burrows. 

Rats create these burrows to travel from their nest to a food source and to escape predators. They usually contain a main entrance and one or two exit holes away from the main entrance. Rat burrows can be identified by their fan-shaped openings, smooth walls, and oily residue around the entrance. The openings are usually between two and four inches in diameter, and the walls are smooth and hard-packed soil surrounds the opening. The residue is due to the rodents' fur, and can look like brown marks.

In order to exterminate the rats effectively, we installed several rodent bait stations close to each one of the burrows. Next, we installed several snap traps near the burrows. The snap traps are inside temper-proof, child resistant boxes. Lastly, we scheduled several follow-up visits to monitor the rat infestation and replenish the bait in the rodent bait stations as needed.

One of Cowleys commercial accounts, an apartment building in Princeton, NJ, is serviced by me weekly to handle any pest complaints of tenants or property management. I have treated a panoply of insects there, from occasional invader insects like clothes moths and pantry pests to our “regulars” like carpenter ants & bees and all types of stinging insects. On my to-do list this week was a call from the property manager that a large yellow jacket nest was discovered in a utility room attached to the main apartment building. He had no idea how long the nest had been there or even if it was still an active nest. Since the room was not heated, I suspected that it was an inactive nest. But with yellow jackets, you don’t take any chances!

I cautiously proceeded inside the utility room and looked around to see if there were any yellow jackets hovering about. The coast was clear. There was not a single yellow jacket and given the size of this nest, this small utility room would have been an airport of yellow jackets flying about. 

I used a putty knife to scrape the nest off the wall. This was an exceptionally mature nest. Had it been active, this colony would have had at least a thousand ornery yellow jackets. This was one time I was glad we were in the middle of winter when stinging insects are generally dormant, although on rare occasions we can find an active nest built inside a heated building. After removing the nest, I inspected the outside of the utility room to locate the entry point for these insects. There was a small gap in the siding where a small aluminum box was attached. The box was bent providing enough of an opening for the insects to come and go. I let the property manager know that the box needed to be replaced or at least sealed against the siding. As long as there was a gap, there was a risk of re-infestation — something I would prefer to not deal with once the temperatures start warming!

During the summer, I perform a weekly servicing for a residential community in Princeton, NJ. The property manager informed me of my top priority for the day: I needed to take care of a hornet’s nest that was terrorizing residents by the swimming pool!  Upon inspection, I immediately saw the problem. The nest had blended in perfectly with the tree and,  even though this was a mature, large nest, it was well hidden unless you were really looking for it. A few residents had already been stung because they didn’t see the nest and made the mistake of venturing too close. Pools tend to be a problem with wasps because they are attracted to the food and sugary sodas.

Often, I can tell the wasp species based on the construction and location of the nest. With this wasp nest removal job, I immediately knew that I was dealing with baldfaced hornets. These “hornets.” contrary to their name, are actually a type of wasp. They are close relatives of yellow jackets and have the same nasty disposition. Baldfaced hornets usually build their nests in hidden protected locations, often under the eaves of buildings or hidden away in some corner of the home, Also, like here, you’ll find baldfaced hornet nests built in or trees where the nest is hidden by leaves and branches. They make their egg-shaped nests out of chewed wood and their saliva, and these nests can grow quite large — approaching the size of a regulation basketball! During the summer, a colony can easily grow to several hundred workers.

These wasps are distinctive white markings on their head and body, and they are social wasps that live in colonies. Social wasps are aggressive and territorial. They are very protective of their nest if they feel threatened, and they won’t hesitate to sting. Each wasp is capable of stinging repeatedly. 

Removing a baldfaced hornet nest is a challenge, and doing it the wrong way or not having the right equipment can easily turn into a medical emergency. These wasps attack in swarms, and aggravating the colony can send hundreds of angry wasps in your direction. Just one wasp sting is painful, but multiple stings are a level of pain that you’ll never forget. I’ve been stung by these even wearing a protective suit. 

It was time to get rid of the nest. First, I treated the entry and exit holes with an aerosol that kills the hornets on contact. I wanted to get rid of the nests' first line of defense — the wasps that are guarding the nest’s exterior. I soaked the nest with the aerosol, to quickly knocks down their population. Even though there may be a few more around, it is now safe enough for me to remove the nest. After removing the nest, I packaged it and took it with me. I did not want any remnants of insect activity since these wasps tend to be attracted to the same area. These wasps had already overstayed their welcome at the pool and I wanted to make sure that these wasps had no attractants that would encourage them to return. 

I was servicing a regular client in Princeton. I went directly to the unit that was having the issue with the yellowjackets. The resident was even seeing the stingers in her unit. I inspected the exterior and quickly found a nest in the roof sheathing by the gutter. I proceeded to treat the opening with a dust insecticide. 

Cowleys received  a call from a Princeton homeowner who had been seen “a small army” of  yellow ants in his crawl space and all over the vent cover leading into the crawl space. These particular ants are citronella ants, and get their name from the citronella odor that they emit when threatened or crushed. These ants feed on the excretion of aphids and mealybugs that feed on the roots of shrubs, and the swarmers (winged ants), which are much larger than the workers, are frequently confused with termites.

Upon arrival, I inspected the crawl space and immediately came across a customer DIY moisture barrier. Unfortunately, weekend handyman projects usually don’t have the same results as professional installations. That was clearly the case here. The crawl space was humid and filled with moisture, and this barrier, a jerry-rigged tarp, was doing little to stop moisture and humidity from entering the crawl space. Upon further inspection, I noticed citronella ants surrounding the outer areas of the tarp. I rolled up part of the tarp, which was loose, to better inspect the area and observed numerous citronella ant trails criss-crossing the crawl space.

I treated the crawl space as well as the exterior of the home. In addition, I spread a granular bait that the ants will pick up and bring back to the colony, killing the queen. With the queen dead, the entire colony will soon eliminated. Killing a few foraging ants will not stop the infestation. To successfully resolve an ant or other insect infestation, you must kill the colony.